BOOK: The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness, 522 pages

It's the End of the World Challenge; 2nds Challenge; Young Adult Challenge

Very dark and quite violent; but war always is.
Middle book of Chaos Walking Trilogy, after The Knife of Never Letting Go.

Todd and Viola have been separated and are working on opposite sides of the warring factions, which just goes to show that you cannot judge a person for the role they might play in a war. There are reasons why each person does what they have to do to survive can't be known.

Young adult book that reads very quick, due to the cliff-hanging, page-turning, action-packed plot, and characters that are growing and maturing, the kind of characters you cheer for and hope that all will turn out alright.

Next in series: Monsters of Men, I'm first in line once my library gets it. It's on order right now.

BOOK: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, 230 pages

Young Adult Challenge; Four Month Challenge: read a book by two authors

How can you spend hours every day trying in small ways to figure out who you are, then have a near-stranger give you a sentence of yourself that says it better than you ever could? p 20


Naomi and Ely are best friends. Ely is gay and Naomi is not, hence they have created the No-Kiss List, people who they aren't allowed to kiss since they both might like him. Ely and Naomi have grown up together in New York City, in the same apartment building and have some shared messy history. They aren't completely likable when they narrate their own chapters and it wasn't until girl-Robyn narrates a chapter (she's a self-proclaimed Velma; get the Scooby-doo reference?) that I was able to see some of the reasons why Naomi is as obnoxious as she is, and was able to like her.

In fact, it took a while to get past the hip, snarky conversations between Naomi and Ely, but eventually, I really liked the book and the lessons learned by our main characters. Greenwich Village teens live a faster, crazier life so expect a little wilder lifestyle than would be found elsewhere. These characters are in college as well, so this is older young adult content.

No. No no no no. It is not easy. Things that matter are not easy . Feeling of happiness are easy. Happiness is not. Flirting is easy. Love is not. Saying you're friends is easy. Being friends is not. p 199

BOOK: Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green, 305 pages

Young Adult Challenge

If ever there was a contemporary book that should be studied in high school, Paper Towns would be it. Students on the verge of graduating high school, wondering about their future, about their friends, about truly knowing anyone in the cliquish world of high school would find lots to contemplate. Add in the fact that the characters in the book end up analyzing a Walt Whitman poem for clues to a missing friend, and English teachers in the world will be rejoicing. The hilarious, laugh out-loud road trip at the end is purely a bonus.

John Green writes young adult books that I have enjoyed. I am starting to recognize some characteristics of his books however. Paper Towns seems to be an amalgam of his two other books: Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines. Katherines had the road trip and snarky friends, and Alaska had the 'boy-loving-the-girl-who-is-a-free-spirit' narrator and revenge against the cool kids pranks. All Green's books are rife with literary references, and unstereotypical, outsider teenagers. Plus the humour.

The book was issued with two different covers, representing the different views people have of Margo, the girl who goes missing. Here's a neat discussion John Green has with his former grade eleven self about the cover. A lot of Paper Towns is about perception of people and what we see or need to see. There is also a great use of wikipedia, which is called Omnidictionary, in the book and, in this meta world, exists in real life to discuss the book. Green makes great use of social media and you can find him interacting all over the internet via his blog.

BOOK: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, 479 pages
Chaos Walking: Book One

young adult challenge

Great book. Lots of adventure, and violence. Cliff-hanger ending. Very much reminded my of Hunger Games, because of the violence, the cliff-hanger, the futuristic view, and the suspense and turn-the-page ability.

Lots more reviews to find:
alison at piling on the books
things mean a lot
Blogging for a Good Book
suey at it's all about books
Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic
Bart's Bookshelf
Carrie at Books and Movies

BOOK: I am Morgan Le Fay by Nancy Springer

I am Morgan Le Fay by Nancy Springer,227 pages
a tale from Camelot

Young Adult Challenge; New Author Challenge

I knew very little about the legend of Camelot - I recognize some names and I've seen Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail. From what I gather, this book looks at the beginning of King Arthur and the story of his half-sister Morgan. I was by times enchanted and by times bored, as fantasy is not my usual reading and I don't always 'get' it all. However, it was readable (and short) and I can see the appeal of Camelot.

Much of the book takes place at Avalon, before Arthur is crowned, and I like the power that the women had there, and it made me more interested in reading the classic book The Mists of Avalon. Springer has written several other books about the Camelot era. I am also very interested in reading Springer's other series, Enola Holmes, sister of Sherlock Holmes.

CHALLENGE: Young Adult Challenge

There are four levels this year:

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.

--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.

--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.

--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.

The challenge runs from January 1st thru December 2010.

If anyone wants to join, click here!

the book pool of possible reads:
Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List - Cohn and Levithan
The House of the Scorpion - Nancy Farmer
Enya Burning - Shannon Hale
Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness
The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Mary E Pearson
The Blythes are Quoted - LM Montgomery
Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry
Feeling Sorry for Celia - Jaclyn Moriarty
I Am the Cheese - Robert Cormier
The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin
I Am Mogan La Fay - Nancy Springer
Paper Towns - John Green
Zero - Diane Tullson

Completed:
1. I Am Mogan La Fay - Nancy Springer 01/29
2. Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness 02/21
3. Paper Towns - John Green 04/04
4. Zero - Diane Tullson 04/05
5. Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List - Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 04/11
6. The Ask and the Answer - Patrick Ness 06/14
7. Feeling Sorry for Celia - Jaclyn Moriarty 08/22
8. When You Reach Me - Rebecca Stead 08/26
9. The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin 08/28
10.Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins 09/06
11. Code Orange - Caroline B Cooney 10/18
12.Shiver - Maggie Stievfator 11/07

BOOK: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, 288 pages

young adult

Way back in the day, the eighties, there really weren't a lot of books called young adult that I was aware of. A teenager in those days went from Nancy Drew to VC Andrews, from Judy Blume to Stephen King. Oh, there were a few 'teen' books like The Outsiders or, and the books that read like an Afterschool Special about drinking, or drugs, or peer pressure. I really remember a book about anorexia, called The Best Little Girl in the World. It was a realistic look at a girl descending into the world of anorexia nervosa. I don't know if it would hold up through the years, but it doesn't matter, because Wintergirls is a fabulous book that will have its place in young adult literature. It's disturbing, but so well written.

These books are tricky because while they expose a serious situation, anorexia, the argument can be made that a book like this gives ideas and 'how-to' for teens with anorexia. I once tutored a girl in the hospital with anorexia, and she learned as many tricks as an inpatient as on her own. Wintergirls will give the reader insight into the mixed up thinking that is as much a part of anorexia as the dieting.

Lia is the main character, and is still struggling with her disorder, despite the fact that she has been released from inpatient care and her family believes she is getting better. When her former best friend dies, she is thrown in a tail spin. It's just heartbreaking to watch Lia battle with herself in her brain for control of her body and her life. This was a great book, and beautifully written. Teens today are so lucky to have good books written by authors like Anderson to introduce them to well-written literature.

also reviewed by :
Trish at Hey Lady!, joanne at the Book Zombie, suey at It’s All About Books, alea at Pop Culture Junkie, joy at thoughts of joy,

BOOK: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, 384 pages

the end of the world II; young adult challenge

I was trying to write a little review of this page-turning, young adult dystopian novel, but I got distracted by Survivor because they just voted out Tyson! It was an awesome blindside! Although actually, there are some similarities between Survivor and The Hunger Games - trying to survive until the end, and documented on television. Unfortunately, in the book, it's real survival of young kids, two from each of twelve districts in a futuristic America fighting to the death. It's not pretty when it's described like that, but the story telling is excellent as is the writing, and the main character - Katniss, a young teen who has been keeping her small family alive, is a wonderful narrator. She is not perfect and she makes mistakes but she tries and she is smart. Haymitch, the mentor to the District Twelve candidates, was a particularly fun character.

The only bad part of the book was that is was To Be Continued at the end. I understand that this is a proposed trilogy. The main story finished up nicely as a stand alone book, but there are still relationships to explore and this future world to see. I don't usually find books at the beginning of their run, so it'll be a while until the next one is released, but I'll be looking forward to it.

BOOK: Skellig by David Almond

Skellig by David Almond, 182 pages

young adult challenge; herding cats

Slim little book that I first read about in Shakespeare Wrote For Money, by Nick Hornby. Rather mystical, with angels and a mysterious man living in the garage. Michael, feeling left out and worried about his sick baby sister, makes a new friend, Mina, and they have great faith and trust in the creature they find in the garage. Eleven year olds are still young enough to just accept what they see, and yet old enough to deal with grown up issues too.

Not the book for you if you like traditional plots, or stories fully explained at the end, but if you believe in miracles, or have faith in the characters, and are able to just 'be' a part of the story, this one might work for you. My nine year old daughter was intrigued by the owls on the cover and is planning to read it. I'll add her thoughts if she gets through it.

other reviews:
where troubles melt like lemon drops
Valentina’s Room
Working Title

BOOK: Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, 250 pages

young adult challenge

The inside flap has only the following on it:
Everybody told me to be a man. Nobody told me how.

Tyler, newly buff after a summer of labor and working off his punishment for his vandalism, is the narrator of this dramatic teen book. He is dealing with high school, his father, his probation, and the attention from the cool girl who noticed his development over the summer.

The atmosphere in the book was dark, and some bad things were happening. Tyler's life is out of control, or at least he feels it is. He was a good kid going through some really tough times, and I felt fear for him, especially after a party got out of hand and accusations were made. There were many bad ways this book could have ended, but Anderson showed how good choices, even in bad situations, can be made. Tyler was a great character, facing situations in school and at home, that many teenagers are dealing with - bullying, fights, suicide, depression, and drinking. It certainly made me glad I wasn't a teenager anymore, but glad that books like this are around for teens to read.

There is a page at the beginning that explicitly states: Note - this is not a book for children. I would agree for this book. Young adult literature spans a big age range, and the younger young adult readers, 12 - 15 year olds, don't necessarily need to be reading the books that the older teens are reading. But the books around older teens eventually get close to the younger ones. This has come to my attention as my 11 year old told me he was reading Twilight at school, brought in by one of the girls in his grade six classroom. Really, he's reading Twilight. I haven't even read it yet.

BOOK: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, 232 pages

Once Upon a Time Challenge; young adult

I won't embarrass myself and admit how long it took me to realize that this was a version of Cinderella. This was a very cute story, with a strong heroine who faces a difficult dilemma - she has been cursed with obedience by a fairy at her birth. There are fairies, ogres, elves, gnomes, all the little and strange people that should be in a fairy tale. And there was a prince charming, who admired Ella's independence, and intelligence, and humor. It seems that most of the rewritten fairy tales I've read have had this trait - the male admires the strong qualities of the female lead, which is so different from the classic fairy tale where the female was just a beautiful person and the male comes along to save her. Bravo for the modern take on this.

I was enchanted with this short tale and finished it quickly, and now I am off to look for the movie, which looks to be excellently cast.

BOOK: Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Specials by Scott Westerfeld, 372 pages

It's the End of the World; third in a series; young adult challenge

Tally and Shay and Zane are all back living in New Pretty Town and being rebellious. The story is a continuation of the Uglies and Pretties books, and shouldn't be read out of order. It completes the story of the future, where beauty is desired and the population must be controlled so they don't ruin the world again like the Rusties did several hundred years ago. Nothing new here, just more awareness for Tally of her actions and how her world is run. The population is gradually breaking away from the rules imposed on them, since as in all good dystopian books, while everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others. This eventually causes problems.

This series has been enjoyable and I'd compare it to cotton candy: easy and light, enjoyable, but nothing too deep. Fun while you read it, especially all the neat future gadgets, but gone quickly.

BOOK: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, 371 pages

dewey's books; young adult

1. Sarah Dessen, a very popular young adult writer, has written nine novels including Lock and Key and The Truth About Forever.

2. For a while, the novel was typical teenage angst - popular girl appears to have everything and then gets shunned by her so-called friends. Meets with a quirky, 'uncool' guy who she wouldn't' have associated with before.

3. Music plays a big role in the novel, with Owen into unusual music and he tried to expose Annabel to new bands. Owen had his own local radio program and was never without his iPod.

4. Just Listen has a very similar plot to Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, but they are somewhat tackled differently - one girl won't speak, and the other needs someone to listen. Same effect really and obviously a serious issue for teenage girls to deal with.

5. There is another plot with Annabel's sister who is struggling with an eating disorder. This is part of what makes Annabel go into herself - she doesn't want to bother her parents with any other issues.

6. I really liked Annabel and her sisters and it was the part that really got to me as I was finishing the book - read that to mean I was crying in bed as I finished the book. The three sisters were realistic and well written characters and were a central part of the book.

7. It was nice to see that the parents weren't portrayed as dolts, ignoring their kids. The sisters actually had a good relationship with the parents and they were real people with problems of their own. As a parent of almost teenagers, that becomes an important part of books I read now.

8. Most of Dessen's books are set in the same town in North Carolina so there is all kinds of overlapping landmarks and characters within her books. For example, Remy and Dexter from Truth Squad in This Lullaby, later appear as the band performing 'The Potato Opus' (written in This Lullaby) at Bendo in Just Listen. (taken from wikipedia) Maeve Binchy does that too in Dublin and it is a technique I really like.

9. When I read a young adult book full of 'issues', it reminds me that for most of the students I see every day, school and physics are really not the issues foremost on their minds.

10. I'd read another book by Dessen but I am beginning to feel that I've gone beyond some young adult books. I've learned that people aren't what they seem, that even 'perfect' people have problems, and it's not good to keep things bottled up inside. Yeah, I get it. But for teenagers, a well written book that deals with these topics is still a very good thing.

BOOK: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green, 221 pages

dewey's books, young adult

Very good book about friendships, and death, and the great beyond, if there is one. Miles goes to boarding school in Alabama and makes his first real friends, falls in love, smokes, drinks, and pulls pranks. This makes is sound like a frat house, and in a way it is but the story is much deeper and tells bigger truths about friendship and guilt.

It always shocked me when I realized that I wasn't the only person in the world who thought and felt such strange and awful things.

If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions.

It's the kind of book I would have loved, and read and reread as a teenager, with a feel of The Outsiders by SE Hinton. The characters are not the popular kids but they have their own circle and friendships and they are not concerned with doing what is expected or good. Lots of literary references as the characters are smart and read a lot.

BOOK: The People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau

The People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau, 338 pages

young adult, It's the End of the World II, book 2 of a trilogy +1


If you haven't read The City of Ember, much of this review won't make any sense, or it may give away major plot points. Go back and read The City of Ember if you like young Young Adult or like dystopian, post-Apocalyptic fiction, especially if you are looking for titles for It's the End of the World Challenge II.

When Lina and Doon emerged from the City of Ember the adventure was just beginning. This book gives a look at what was going on in the world while they were in Ember. The major theme here is war, and how it starts, and how difficult it can be to avoid. the author sets up a situation where neither side is right, or wrong, just different and it makes it hard for the reader to take sides and allows you to see that each side has their justified reasons for thinking the way they do.

I thought this was a great little book for kids - my 11 year old son liked it, and was enjoyable for me too. It's not an adult book but it was nicely done for young teens and preteens. There is lots of fun for modern readers as the roamers scavenge for artifacts in destroyed towns, finding things like an ancient bird statue, painted pink that appears to be standing on one leg.

The next book in the series, The Prophet of Yonwood, is actually a prequel to the first book that sets up the situation. The last book, The Diamond of Darkwood, continues after The People of Sparks.

BOOK: The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, 270 pages

young adult challenge; genre: sci-fi

I haven't seen the movie. From the pictures inside (I have the book published after the movie, including scenes from the movie) the movie looks much more fantastic than the book. The book however, is a great suspenseful read, and doesn't need any jazzing up. Why do we enjoy a suspense in a book that would translate in a movie to not enough suspense?

Lina and Doon, age twelve, are receiving their assignments for jobs in the City of Ember, reminiscent of The Giver. It seems like a more primitive society, with little in the way of supplies, as if this town has been surviving on a fixed amount of materials. Everything is reworked and recycled. Electricity is limited and unreliable. Doon trades jobs with Lina to be able to work underground in the Pipeworks, hoping to be able to make the Generator more dependable, even if no one really knows how electricity works. Lina works as a messenger and gets to see all different places in the city.

Something is not quite right, as there are black market goods - canned peaches! available to some people, while the rest of them are surviving on the few vegetables grown in the greenhouse. Lina discovers some Instructions, that sends her and Doon on a chase to escape from Ember. The book is really a part of a trilogy, as the first book ends, but sets up a whole other story, that I can't wait to read. My son has the next two books, and I'll get to them soon!

It's a book where the reader can guess some things that Lina and Doon have no clue about, and the mystery is in them figuring out where they are, and for the reader, how this all happened. Lina and Doon get some of their questions answered, the reader only somewhat, necessitating the next book to find out why this has all happened.

BOOK: Stargirl/The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

celebrate the author; young adult challenge

Stargirl teaches everyone a lesson on conformity and being yourself. Being a teenager is tough and learning how to fit it with the crowd while still staying true to yourself is difficult. Whose heart is broken more: Leo's after he realizes he tried to change Stargirl, and then she's not the same girl, or Stargirl's, who changes for Leo because he wants her to but it doesn't change anything?

My son liked this so much he made me get the sequel, Love, Stargirl right after he finished this one.

The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli, 154 pages (ages 8-14)

celebrate the author

One magical library card changes the life of four different 11 year olds. The card brings each of them what they need at that point of their life. The four short stories are not connected at all, other than the library card, and there is something for every reader to relate to: the almost juvenile delinquent being pulled by a friend, the television addict, the lonely child moved to a new community, and the child longing for someone to remember his childhood with him. Eleven year olds make the best characters - they are mature enough to be on their own, they are beginning to think about themselves and their place in the world, but still young enough to believe in magic.

I brought this home from the library after my son and I read Maniac Magee. He was having none of it; looked at the cover and said no. Two months later he starts telling me about this great book he was reading at school. Yep, you guessed it: The Library Card. Spinelli is one of my son's favorite authors.

BOOK: Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger

Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger, 353 pages

young adult; themed reading challenge: epistolary

I gave this to my 11 year old son for Christmas after reading a great review of it somewhere. I think it came into notice around the time The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie book began making waves as both are epistolary books - told through letters. A librarian was making a display of these types of books, sort of like the Amazon recommended list "If you like this, you may like that" and read Last Days of Summer and gave it a rave review.

My son enjoyed it, but was put off a bit by the 'bad' words, and told me the ending shocked him. So of course I had to read it. Joey, a 12 year old Jewish boy in 1940 Brooklyn begins writing to Giants third baseman Charlie Banks. They don't hit it off, but Charlie continues to write back, which just encourages Joey. Joey is friends with a Japanese American, and they are getting beat up and hoping Charlie can help them. Thus the language - Charlie is a 23 year old professional ball player and Joey is a tough guy without a father around so these guys are a little rough around the edges.

Joey and Charlie form an unusual friendship but it becomes very important for both of them, and they both grow. About the shocking ending? Just the difference between being 11 and 41. I have read a lot more books, especially ones set during wars, so I can predict better what might happen. The reviews I read at librarything called the ending 'predictable,' which it was, but it didn't detract from the book at all. And to me, that's why young adult books can be predictable and still very enjoyable. You have to be shocked for the first time in a lot of ways before endings become predictable. The characters here were very delightful, and the letter writing style between the different characters told the story in a very readable way. I was crying by the end because these characters touched each other, and me, so much.

The story is about so much more than baseball. The Japanese internment during World War Two is also a part of the story. But it was more a story of a young boy who had been abandoned by his father and looked for that guidance from someone and a young man who takes on responsibility for a young kid.

BOOK: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, 306 pages


celebrate the author; genre: fantasy; young adult


Hale continues her marvelous fairy tales with this retelling of Maid Maleen. Her winning tradition includes picking a lesser known fairy tale and then reworks it after creating her own world, full of language, tradition, and folklore. I've enjoyed The Goose Girl and Princess Academy.


Dashti, lady's maid to Saren, gets locked into a tower with Saren for seven years after Saren defied her father and refused to marry Khasar, a Lord and leader from a nearby realm. Dashti keeps a diary of their days as they try to survive. Dashti is a Mucker from the Steppes with a deep tradition of singing and belief in their gods and goddesses. There is another guy around, Khan Tegus from another realm, and he tries to save Saren from the tower. So we have all the characteristics of a great fairy tale: evil man, good man, adventure, true love, animals, different classes, even werewolves! I particularly liked Dashti's folklore of singing and her way with animals and the fact that this was set in ancient Mongolia. I remember seeing a documentary on life in Mongolia and the ghers, the portable houses the Mongol nomads live in and carry.


I read this for the Celebrate the Author challenge. Shannon Hale's birthday is January 26th.

Her afterward mentions a group at http://www.heifer.org/ where you can donate an animal to a family in need, an animal which can make a huge difference in their life.

CHALLENGE: Young Adult Challenge 2009

Guidelines for 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge hosted by J Kaye Books this year, taking over from Joy.

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. (Click here to join!)

2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. You may list your chosen books any time during the year. Change the list if needed.

3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.

4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

Here is my list of books I might get to:

1. An Abundance of Katherines - John Green

2. Looking for Alaska - John Green

3. Book of 1000 Days - Shannon Hale

4. Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine

5. Specials - Scott Westerfield

6. Just Listen - Sarah Dressen

7. Twisted - Laurie Halse Anderson

8. 13 Reasons Why - Jay Asher

9. City of Ember - Jeanne DuPrau + the sequels
- The People of Sparks - Jeanne DuPrau
10. Stargirl/The Library Card - Jerry Spinelli

11. Last Days of Summer - Steve Kluger
12. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
13. Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging - Louise Rennison
14. Skellig - David Almond
15. Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson